(Hape $28.95) Our preschool testers loved this dump truck for pretend play with blocks and trains. The yellow base is wood with a plastic working dumping back end. The set comes with a wooden road block to warn traffic of on-going construction. There is also a construction worker that's just the right size for older twos and preschoolers to grab and become part of their own action adventures with the dump truck. Marked 2 - 8. Ages: Toddlers, Preschoolers Oppenheim Toy Port

( Jasey's Toy Chest $19.99) Preschoolers love pretend cooking -- especially when the props look like the real thing. This new Toaster set is adorable. It comes with a wooden toaster, a slice of toast, a plate, a knife, strawberry jam and pats of butter. There is a dial on the toaster as well as a pop up mechanism that delighted our testers. Safety note -- the pats of butter are small which is why this toy is marked 3 & up. Ages: Preschoolers Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Se

( Jasey's Toy Chest $19.99) Our preschool testers loved the activity here of using the included wooden knife to open up the fruit pieces. The fruit is connected by Velcro and can also be separated by pulling it apart. There's a strawberry, pear, orange, lemon, watermelon wedge and a banana (that is whole for some reason). Our parent testers noted that the set was well-crafted. The crate and the fruit were all smooth. A fun prop for pretend play. Our testers added this to you

( Jasey's Toy Chest $24.99) If you're looking for a beautifully crafted wooden vehicle toy, look no further. Our preschoolers adored this wooden vehicle carrier that has two levels, and comes with four rescue vehicles: an ambulance, a fire truck, a police car and and rescue helicopter. To unload the top vehicles the carrier unfolds. The front cab of the truck also disconnects. A great addition to trains and blocks. 3 & up. Ages: Preschoolers Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Se

( Connetix $99.99) If you have a magnetic tile builder in your family, you're going to want to take a look at this new ball maze from Connetix. It's a big set with 106 pieces and 8 wooden balls. The kit was a huge hit with our preschool testers -- but it does require adult participation for younger builders. The ramps need to be snapped into the tiles that have special round holes and grooves to receive them. Our builders also used their stash of tiles to build more robust

( eeBoo $27.99) A fun twist on a classic dominoes game where you are matching object or number as you go. Here you are adding the top or bottom of familiar farm objects or animals. For example, the Mother Hen will be connected to the three little chicks or the front of the cow will be matched with her back. The set comes with 28 pieces. 3 & up. Ages: Preschool Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2026 Shop this game on Amazon

( eeBoo $17.99) Most memory games come with way too many pairs -- which we usually suggest paring down with younger preschoolers. This new set from eeBoo comes with just 10 pairs -- making it a great place to start. The images (mostly of farm animals) are easy to tell apart. Ages: Preschool Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2026 Shop this game on Amazon

(Gund $31.51) Muttsy is 14" of sweetness with floppy ears and very soft teddy bear brown colored shaggy plush. An armful for toddlers and preschoolers. Also notable, Toothpick Bear is truly skinny like a toothpick with easy-to-grab arms and legs. Perfect gifts for 2 & up. Ages: Toddlers, Preschoolers Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2025 Click here to purchase the product from Amazon.com Click here to purchase Toothpick from Amazon.com

( Beverly Hills Teddy Bear $29.99 ) Cute, delicious, beyond soft --- pick your favorite way of describing the sweetest 16" plush dog. The company says these are the "World's Softest Plush" -- while we can't verify -- we definitely don't want to let go of this adorable pup. A great gift for preschoolers or anyone who needs a huggable. Also sweet, the company's Bunny called Bri Bri Rose ($29.99) Ages: older preschool, early school Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2025

( Educational Insights $15.99 ) We love this set of binoculars that are designed for younger kids. They have soft plastic where you place the binoculars to your face - making them more comfortable to use. They are scaled for kids and also come with a break-away neck strap. And while it seems weird to say, these really work. Many that we have tested really don't work that well. A STEM toy at it's best. Marked 3 & up, will be most enjoyed by older preschoolers and early schoo